I am looking for a new sewing machine for no more than $700. I have been to several dealers and have narrowed my search down to the Innovis line from Brother and Babylock. The models I'm most interested in are the Innovis 40 and 80 (I like the 80 for it's threader and extra decorative stitches). I've also considered the Babylock Elizabeth (a bit more pricy but full of features) and the Babylock Tempo. I have pieced some quilts in the past and would like to get into machine quilting. I also like doing baby receiving blankets with decorative stitches around the edge, car seat canopies, etc. I'm hoping that whatever I buy will last me 10+ years and not cause me a lot of problems.

I've looked into Janome, but the dealers in my area don't really have many options when it comes to models - just the DC2010 which is limited on stitches and features. The Brother dealer also had a used Innovis 900D embroidery machine which I would be interested in for the right price (it's comparable to the Babylock Sophia).

Does anyone know anything about these machines and which would be the most reliable? Thanks in advance for any advice.

My guess is they'd be equally reliable as both are Brother made. At the dealer I worked for we rarely saw them in for repair, I'd say never but I was only p/t and didn't see everything that came in. But I sure didn't see them in the repair room waiting for pickup either! Recommend you take samples of exactly the types of things you want to sew, quilt pieces, sample quilt sandwiches to machine quilt, whatever you use for the baby blankets, and anything else you think you may want/need to sew, home dec fabrics, jeans to hem over seams, whatever!

A few of things to think about: the Innov-is 40 and 80 are not full-size machines.
The Elizabeth(Brother NX-450Q) has a built-in thread cutter i.e. push button with scissors, so easy! It also has a knee lift, wonderful for when you are handling your quilt project or anything that needs both hands. The threader on this model is soooo nice!
The 900D is so cute and does embroidery but it is just as small as the 40 and 80. It also has the neat-o threader that the Elizabeth has.

That's a great question -- is there a quality difference in the engineering between the Babylocks and their counterpart Brother models? If the Brother machines offer the same or similar features but the difference in cost is several hundred dollars, what accounts for that? Is it all in the marketing and overhead or does a Babylock machine have a better/stronger/more reliable motor or circuit board or are the machining specs more precise for a Babylock?

I've come down to the same decision point between Brother and Babylock: a Brother PC-420 or a Babylock Elizabeth (or Grace)?

There are some very helpful threads going on this board but I haven't seen anything that really explains the price difference.

From what I've learned, I think the Babylocks are going to have a better warranty. The Brother dealer I talked to said you get a 1 year parts/labor, 3 year electircal, and 25 year limited warranty (not sure what the PC420 would have since it's not sold at a dealer - best price is on Amazon).

Babylock will give you 1 year labor, 2-5 years electircal (depending on the machine you choose), 10 years parts (the better part about their warranty), and 25 year limited warranty (not really sure what this would cover on either of the brands). I found one review from someone who used to repair Babylocks who said the A-Line series are not as well built as the Quilter's series (Tempo/Melody) when you get inside them. The Melody is really nice but more pricy (I think around $900). The Tempo would be a good machine but isn't as user friendly or feature-filled as the Elizabeth.

I would consider Janome but am limited to the DC2010 from a dealer in my area (the next Janomes they carry are the advanced embroidery machines, nothing in between). I just can't decide. I want the best quality machine with the most features for my money. What to do?

It's the question of the century! I've often wondered the same thing. I will say that I don't think the plastic is any better on one than the other, after examining both brands.
I does appear BL does more education in the form of seminars, videos, and they have a great website. That could account for some of the difference. But, that's just what I've gathered. I could be wrong.

I went into my dealer intending to buy a Janome and walked out with this same dilemma with the BabyLock/Brother. They showed me the Innov-is 40, which I refused because it was so very pink (LOL) so they brought me to the BabyLock Grace, which isn't "similar," it's 100% identical except for being blue instead of pink. Features, built-in stitches, included accessories, everything is exact, so I also can't help but wonder what makes them different.

I was not aware it wasn't a full-size machine, though. I know it's a little lighter than Janome's heaviest (by about 4 pounds,) but seeing it in person, it appeared to me to be full-size. (Janome has a few full-size machines weighing in around 12 pounds.) The right-of-needle area was definitely a bit tighter on the BabyLock than the Janome, though.

If I had a choice, I would choose BabyLock. I have one, love it more than the dealer. Great customer service directly from BL. They actually called me when they needed more information regarding question I had emailed to them.

If you like your dealer, go with the machine you are the most comfortable with. You did test the machines????

BabyLock's website has good overviews of the different models. Compare with the overview at the Brother website.

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